NCURA Ask the Authors Webinar Series: Navigating the Unimaginable- Strategies for Research Administration in Times of Crisis

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Join NCURA Magazine Senior Editor and authors of the article Navigating the Unimaginable: Strategies for Research Administration in Times of Crisis for a one hour discussion. The authors will discuss the strategies outlined in the article. RSVP for this live-only Zoom event! NOTE: The Zoom link will be sent to all participants the day before the Ask the Authors discussion.

REACH Network Global Symposium: AI in Research Assessment 

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

This event brings together leading voices in research policy and evaluation, to explore one of the most urgent questions facing the scholarly community: Can AI assess research? Artificial intelligence promises to reshape how research is evaluated. Emerging AI tools can generate detailed, human-like assessment - opening exciting opportunities to reduce administrative burden, support evaluation at scale, and uncover new insights. At the same time, these technologies raise concerns around accuracy, transparency, equity, and the protection of research integrity. Our aim is to engage critically with both the promise and the pitfalls of AI-assisted evaluation, asking: When can AI meaningfully contribute to research assessment? What standards, governance, and oversight are required? Which tasks should remain firmly in the hands of peer-review?

New! NYU Research Administration Demonstration (RAD) Webinar: Future-Proofing Your Research Portfolio- Strategies for Navigating Federal Funding Shifts (Part 1) 

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Federal research funding isn’t standing still and neither should you. With evolving priorities, tighter budgets, and new compliance challenges, research administrators are on the front lines of change. This session goes beyond the headlines to deliver practical strategies for thriving in uncertainty. Join us to gain insider insights, actionable tools, and a forward-looking perspective that will help you keep your institution competitive, even when the federal landscape feels unpredictable.

Note: The link below will launch the NYU RAD Zoom meeting. Click the link to join the webinar during the webinar start time. 

New! NCURA Region II Brown Bag: Navigating Internal Submission Deadlines-  Institutional Policies and Perspectives

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

This session will compare how institutions handle internal deadlines in the grant submission process. Our presenter will discuss the impact of internal review deadlines on research administrators’ jobs and relationships with faculty, as well as experiences with “last-minute” submission and other stressors related to submission deadlines.

Note: The link below will launch the NCURA Region II Brown Bag Zoom meeting. Click the link to join the meeting during the meeting start time.

New! Potential Partial Federal Government Shutdown

OVPR is closely monitoring the possibility of a partial shutdown of the federal government. In the event of a shutdown, the university will continue to operate normally and most federally funded research projects will be unaffected in the short term. Disruptions are possible if the work requires the use of a federal facility or guidance from agency staff. A shutdown may also delay the review of submitted proposals. If you are preparing proposals or reports, please continue to adhere to all previously announced deadlines. Some websites may be taken offline during a government shutdown, so we recommend downloading any materials needed to complete proposals and/or reports from affected agencies before the shutdown deadline (midnight on January 31). Anyone that receives a notice from their federal sponsor related to a government shutdown should immediately forward that communication to the Office of Sponsored Projects at osr@gwu.edu.

Other Support and Research Security Training Requirements

GW investigators on federal funded projects identified as covered individuals are required to complete other support and research security training to comply with federal agencies' implementation of research security requirements (including other support training) stemming from NSPM-33 and the CHIPS & Science Act (2022). Per GW Guidance, GW investigators should fulfill these training requirements prior to proposal submission using the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) "Research Security Training (Combined)" module. (Those who have completed the full Research Security module do not need to further complete the Combined module). To ensure compliance with sponsor-specific requirements in time for proposal submission, Principal Investigators are expected to identify and direct all individuals who will participate and/or have participated on the project to complete the required training. To avoid delays in proposal submission and/or award acceptance, personnel are encouraged to complete their training as early as possible. Please note that the Research Security training is valid only if taken within 12 months of the proposal submission date.  Additional details can be found on the Office of Research Integrity & Compliance (ORIC) website.

New! DOE Policies to Limit Indirect Cost Rates No Longer in Effect

A January 27, 2026 Department of Energy (DOE) Policy Flash states that its earlier Policy Flashes limiting indirect cost rates are no longer in effect. The Policy Flash explains that the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act of 2026, H.R. 6938, was signed into law January 23, 2026 and that its Section 313, “states that DOE is required to apply the indirect cost rates, as described in 2 CFR 200.414, including with respect to the approval of deviations from negotiated indirect cost rates to the same extent and the same manners that was applied in fiscal year 2024.” 

Previous efforts by DOE to limit indirect cost rates were halted by court order.

DOE Requirement for Use of SciENcv

Consistent with NSF and now NIH, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires the use of SciENcv to complete their Common Forms, such as the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support, effective December 3, 2025 upon issuance of Financial Assistance Letter (FAL) 2026-02.

The Biosketch replaces the resume requirement in all DOE and NNSA notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs), financial assistance agreements, congressionally directed spending projects, and non-competitive financial assistance agreements. PIDs (ORCiD IDs) are required for NOFOs and awards that encompass R&D activities, or technical assistance to support R&D activities, including non-competitive R&D projects.

New! New PF5 NOFO for NIH Application Structure for NIH-Funded International Collaborations

On January 20, 2026, NIH released PA-26-002,a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the PF5 Collaborative International Research Project, implementing a new application and award structure for applications that request funding for foreign component organizations. For reference, see Guide Notice NOT-OD-25-155, background, second paragraph (September 12, 2025). This opportunity specifically implements an award structure to support NIH-funded international collaborations of prime domestic awards with independent foreign awards that are linked to the prime. This structure provides NIH with oversight capacity for international collaborations, and allows NIH to track international funding, as identified in NOT-OD-25-104. The PF5 NOFO should not be used for foreign consultants, purchasing unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors, foreign collaborations that do not involve NIH funding, or any other foreign component that would not result in a foreign subaward. NIH provided additional details in the FAQs for PF5 application preparation and submission.

NIH Executive Salary Cap now $228,000

The Executive Level II salary limitation/cap is now $228,000 (See Executive Order 14368). Effective immediately, it should be used to prepare new applications and re-budget active awards as allowable. 

NIH Cap for the Submission of Certain Proposal Types in a Calendar Year

As 2026 begins, please be reminded that NIH has set a limit of six new, renewal, resubmission, or revision applications for PI/PD, or multiple PI/PDs in a calendar year, for all activity codes except for T and R13 applications. This information may be helpful as PIs plan submissions for the 2026 calendar year. This limit was implemented with guide notice NOT-OD-25-132. 

NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2026

NIH announces its implementation of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for applications with due dates and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) submissions on or after January 25, 2026. Update: SciENcv has been updated with the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and the NIH Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form. Both NIH Common Forms are available under the dropdown menu for "Document Type" when creating a new document in SciENcv. A FAQ is available on the NIH website, which is updated frequently with new information on the implementation.

Additionally, effective January 25, 2026, individuals who are a current party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) are not eligible to serve as a senior/key person on any NIH grant or cooperative agreement. NIH will require MFTRP certifications from applicants and individuals identified as senior/key personnel with its implementation of the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support. Individuals identified as senior/key personnel must certify on their Common Form for Biographical Sketch, attached on the R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form, that they are not a party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program. For NIH awards with RPPRs submitted on or after January 25, 2026, individuals serving as senior/key personnel must complete annual certification to their participation or non-participation in an MFTRP at the time of RPPR submission, using the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR)  must certify, via their signature on the face page of the application (i.e., SF424 R&R cover form), that all individuals identified by the applicant as senior/key personnel have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under that section to certify that the individual is not a party to a MFTRP.

Detailed instructions are provided in NOT-OD-26-018.  Additional guidance on the OSP Biographical Sketch (Biosketch) and Current and Pending (Other) Support pages.

NIH Policy Notice: Implementation of Research Security Training Requirement for Covered Individuals 

NIH has issued guide notice NOT-OD-26-017 which announces implementation of the requirement for all covered individuals (defined by NIH as Senior/Key Personnel) to certify that they have completed research security training within 12 months of the date of application submission. NIH will collect the individual’s certification at the time of the application submission, through the Biographical Sketch in SciENcv. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is required to complete an institutional certification that each covered individual on the application has completed the research security training prior to application submission. Completion of research security training for senior/key personnel, individual and institutional certifications will be effective for NIH applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026. GW researchers may review the Research Security Training page for guidance on how to complete this requirement.  

NSF Releases Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (2024) - Supplement 2

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a Policy Notice for its 2024 Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The information set out in this notice takes precedence over existing policies and procedures in PAPPG 24-1. It applies for all financial assistance awarded on or after January 22, 2026.

NSF will defer release of the 26-1 version of the PAPPG, previously developed and planned for publication in Fiscal Year 2026, to ensure alignment with forthcoming Uniform Grant Guidance updates. NSF will issue policy revisions via supplemental Policy Notices in the interim. If you have questions, please contact the NSF Grants Policy Branch at policy@nsf.gov. Please check NSF.gov often for future updates.

The following policy updates are covered in this supplement:

Changes to the NSF Public Access Repository (NSF-PAR) include: 

Changes to Research.gov Project Reports include: 

Updates to NSF Research Security Policies

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) released information on November 25, 2025, informing organizations and Authorized Organizational Representatives that starting December 2, 2025, the new requirements set forth in Important Notice No. 149: Updates to NSF Research Security Policies | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation will take effect.

This includes the following:

If you have questions regarding these requirements, please contact researchsecurity@nsf.gov for additional guidance.

Most OSP Resources are located on the Education and Training SharePoint site. To access the site, you will need to use your GW Single Sign On credentials. If you need any assistance finding a resource, or require help to access the Education and Training SharePoint site, please contact OSP_EandT@gwu.edu.